Wednesday, May 8, 2013

The Face of the Earth Book Review

I have a real mystery about a wife that disappears and her husband is beside himself as what to do about it until he enlists the help of his wife's friend. The book is called The Face of The Earth and is written by Deborah Raney.

Here is an excerpt from the back of the book:

When Mitchell Brannon's beloved wife of twenty years kisses him goodbye one autumn morning, he has little idea that his life is about to change forever. Mitch returns from work early that evening, surprised Jill's car isn't in the garage. Her conference in Kansas City is only a few hours' drive from their little town of Sylvia, Missouri. But her voice on the answering machine makes him smile. "Hey, babe, I'm just now checking out of the hotel, but I'll stop and pick up something for dinner. Love you."

Mitch sets the table with their best china and lights some candles, looking forward to their first weekend as empty nesters.
But at eight o'clock, the candles have burned to stubs and Jill still hasn't shown up. Mitch tries her cell phone only to get her voice mail over and over again. Their two college kids haven't heard from their mom either.
At midnight, Mitch's irritation turns to dread.

And later, when the police and Missouri Highway Patrol have turned up nothing, the Kansas City hotel calls to say they've found property belonging to Jill in a hotel maid's possession.
Mitch enlists the help of their next-door neighbor, Jill's best friend, Shelley, and together they search for clues to Jill's disappearance.

As days turn into weeks and weeks into months, Mitch and Shelley's friendship grows ever closer--and decidedly complicated with Jill as the tie that binds them together. Just when Shelley decides to finally reveal her feelings for Mitch, a clue to Jill's whereabouts is uncovered.

But every lead seems to be a dead end, and Mitch wonders how he can honor the vows he made to a woman who has seemingly disappeared off the face of the earth.

Jill is an elementary school teacher who disappears after checking out of her hotel to come home from a school conference. She had called home to say she would be back in time for dinner, but she never showed up.

This was a heart wrenching book to read. Her husband and two children, who were both in college, did not know if someone had gotten her, if someone had tortured her, if she left with someone or just decided to disappear.

I know sometimes in this world, we often think the worst of someone without no real reason, just because she disappeared for over a year they could not find her car or anything. Doesn't mean she meant to leave. So, I took from this story, until proven otherwise, it is best to think the best, to hope for the best and never ever judge someone who you don't know.

Her husband and best friend had grown close over that year and it was getting harder and harder to remain faithful, but somehow they did. And I am glad that Mitch held out because in the end, she did not leave willingly, or even thought about it at all. She was on her way home when the unexplained happened.

Be prepared to cry some if you are a warm hearted soul. It's that kind of book.

Happy Reading!Disclaimer: Mary Bearden personally reviewed these products. I did not receive any monetary compensation for my review, just a sample product. All opinions are mine and belong to me solely. My thoughts and opinions may differ from yours.